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T. B. DORNIN. v APPARATUS ron TESTING FLUID METERS.

APPLIOATIOI IILEDAHAB. 5, 190; I r I I 899,959, Patented Sept. 29, 1908.

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$5 G Horne T. B. 1101mm. APPARATUS FOR TESTING FLUID METERS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 5, 1908.

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THOMAS B. DORNIN, OF NORFOLK, VfitGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JACOB M.

Y a UMSTADTER, OI NORFOLK, VIRGINIA.

APPARATUS FOR Specification of Letters Patent. ripplication filed March 5, 1908. Serial No. 419,299.

TESTING FLUID-METERS.

Patented Sept. 29, 1908.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, THOMAS B. DORNIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Norfolk, in the county of Virginia, have invented a new and useful improvement in Apparatus for Testing Fluid- Meters, of which the following is a specilication.

In the operation of testing fluid meters, such as water meters and the like, for the purpose of determining the accuracy, or estimating the error of the same, it is necessary to temporarily couple up theinflow and outa su ply pipe, so that water taken from the supp y pipe llows through the meter, registering on the dial the efl ect of its passage, and discharging thence into a measuring tank, the volume of water in which tank is then compared with the reg istration on the dial of the meter for determining its accuracy or error.

The litting up of each meter to water tight connection with the supply pipe and measur ing tankis, where a large number of meters are to be tested, a slow and tedious operation, and my invention is designed to'provide an apparatus whereby a large number of meters may be simultaneously connected with tight joints to the supply pipe and measuring tank, and the meters all tested at once with a great saving of time and labor.

To that end my invention consists in the novel construction and arrangementof parts of a specially designed apparatus, as will be hereinafter more fully described with reference to the drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view and Fig. 2 a vertical longitudinal section of the right hand, or supply, end of the apparatus, showing two of the meters inposition and Figs. 1 and 2* are similarviews of the left hand, or discharge, end of the apparatus.

The complete apparatus will be shown by juxtaposing Figs. 1 and 2 in longitudinal and coaxial alinement with Figs. 1 and 2. Figs. 1 and 2 being placed to the left of Figs. 1 and 2.

v In the drawing, X represents a suitable base plate upon which bolted at one end the metal frame ii, and at the otherend the bracket standard Between the frame ill and the standard is disposed a level table Y supported upon adj listing screws Z and arranged to sustain temporarily in a straight Norfolk and State of.

row any desired number of meters M during the operation of testing.

The frame H has an oll'sotlmg stop it supporting a stulling box 1 into which is tapped the supply pipe it for supplying water from the water main. The frame ll. has two (ollars h. it through which an adjustable hollow sleeve F is operated longitudinally by means of a hand wheel nut riorly and meshing with a thread on the sleeve F. in the end of the/sleeve F is inserted a bushing E, made water-tight by a washer O, and counterborod sothat the moter nipple n can be easily inserted therein. The joint between the bushing E'and motor nipple is made water-tigl'it by means pl" a washer P.

Between each set of meters, M there is a longitudinally movable slip sleeve A, supported by and loose in an arm B, which )rojects at right angles to and is supported by a horizontal rod 0, and set bolt .1), the rod being supported by arms B ll and standard Q.

in a longitudinal groove 9 in the adjustable sleeve F, as the latter moves from the action ofwhcel nut J, said key and groove serving to prevent the sleeve F from turning.

At the outlet end of the last meter, see Figs. 1 and 2*, the meter nipple is fitted in. a bushing S, and is made watertight inthe same by a washer U. The bushing S, is inserted in a stationary sleeve it, which extends through a bearing in the standard Q and is shouldered against the same the hushing S being made watertight in the sleeve It by a washer 0. Into this sleeve it, the discharge pipe is tapped. This pipe 1 dislets of the desired size.

The operation of my testing apparatus is as follows: For setting the meters in position the adjustable sleeve F, is set back towards the supply end by hand-whcol J and the meter at the discharge end (Figs. 1 and 2") is first inserted in bushing S, the "first slccvo A, is then slipped up on to the motor nipple and the nipple of the next meter is inserted in the other end of the first sleeve, after which a second sleeve A is slipped up on to the nipple of this motor, and so on until all l meters have been setwith their nipples in A key is, fixed in one of the collars h slidos charges into a measuring tank through out- J screw threaded intol'roni the end l'ranlc longitudinally coaxial alinement. The adjustable sleeve l, (Figs. land 2) is then set up to the last placed meter M, by hand-wheel J, and adjusted by this hand-Wheel until sufficient .3 pressure has been exerted on all the washers 1 into tank.

- When the tests are comp cut elf at the discharge end and the meters examined for the final reading. The difference between the meter readings and the tank reading gives the er cent. of error.

feted, Water is shut oil' atthe supply end by valve V and the meters and pipe drained through branch pipe I) and its valve which are placed between the supply pipe and the coaxial clampin devices. To remove the meters, the a 'ustable sleeve F is set back by the hand-wheel into the slip connection of the stuffing box and the meter nearest the sleeve F is taken out. The next sleeve A, is then slipped back and the-next succeeding meter taken out, and so on until all meters are taken out.

The importantvalue of my invention is to be found in the slip sleeve A, by means of which any number of meters may be set in series and all joints between the meters and sleeves made water-tight at one operation through exerting pressure, bysuitable means, on one end meter, the other end being held stationary by a suitable abutment.

The advantages claimed are that by one operation the joints between all meters and sleeves are made water tight, thus obviating the necessity of separate operations for making the joints water-tight at each meter.

1. An apparatus for testingmeters, com prising a series of longitudinally slidable threads on said sleeve, vided with a hand wheel for operating sleeves and having external screw threads and an interiorly screw threaded nut engaging the threads of the sleeve and means for restraining the nut against longitudinal movement with the threaded sleeve.

2. An apparatus for testing meters, comprising a series of longitudinally slidable sleeves, means for holding the same in coaxial alinement and means for clamping the inlet and outlet orifices of the meters against the coaxially alined sleeves, said means consisting of a stationary abutment bearing at one end, an externally screw threadedand longitudinally adjustable sleeve at the other end, an interiorly screw threaded hand wheel nut and a frame with restraining collars on opposite sides of said hand-wheel nut.

3. An apparatus for testing meters, comprising a series of longitudinally slidable sleeves, a shaft, a series of laterally extending arms on said shaft for holding said sleeves in coaxial alinement, means for clamping the inlet and outlet connections of the meters against the coaxially alined sleeves, said means consisting of a stationary abutting hearing at one end, and a longitudinally adjustable sleeve at the other en having a passageway for the water through it, sai sleeve having external screw threads, an interiorly.

screw threaded nut arranged to engage the said nut bemg prothe same, and a collar on each side of sai for supporting said adjustable sleeve.

, THOMAS B. DORNIN.

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